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lilyya's review against another edition
5.0
5 — heartbreaking— stars.
The story embraced a poignant narrative with an elegiac and melancholic writing that harmonized between two, distinct timelines; past and present, ancestors and descendants separated by years and divided by generations, although were inherently mingled.
The storyline combined chapters with the first person perspective from characters sharing an identical bloodline whom endured and sustained similar tragedies and oppressions; the superstructure that dominated 19th and early 20th century and subordinated black people. Albeit their retellings weren’t recurrent along the line the impact behind them is profond and movingly authentic, nonetheless.
The other chapters were the backbone of the book narrated from the third person and retraced the interior war the female protagonist was torn with. Trying to forgive her own, past and present, mistakes. Alessandra was a strong female lead but had a noxious relationship with her father since her mother’s death. She wanted to rearrange their chaotic bond at all coasts when she received a call announcing her that her father was hospitalized. One of her father’s wishes was for her to reconnect with her ancestors by understanding the epiphany behind her vivid dreams and realistic visions, from another time, disguised with ugly truths hidden by her late mother. The flashbacks were.. disturbing.
The backbone chapters contained some chapters and parts with the male protagonist’s point of view, Zack. With his and Alessandra’s perspectives the storytelling flourished into a surprisingly heartbreaking and soul-moving story about fate and soulmates, belongings and forgiveness. The bond between them was transparently powerful throughout the book but intensified the more Zach helped her figure the missing segments of her ancestral tree.
The plot was enticing, trying to comprehend why everything and everyone was somehow mangled together. What these past chapters relating the escape of a 15 years old girl prisoner had anything to do with Alessandra. Why Zach had always this contradictory —uncomfortable yet reassuring— impression that he and Alessandra had known each other, before?
But most importantly who or what Ayah is ? The only significance I knew to the word is the literal meaning, the religious islamic in wish Ayah means a Qur'anic verse. Seeing how easily and poetically the author has the capacity and power to torn and twist words I was convinced the meaning was metaphorical.. Oh, how wrong was I, cuz its significance brought so much more understanding and made the story more impactful in so many ways.
•Quotes:
I want to thank Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange of an honest review.
•———•———•———•———•———•———•
I need some sleep to recover from the plot and gather my thoughts properly
"The story of how I come to be here in this foreign land. Sometimes what I tell you will make no sense. Sometimes it will sound absurd. But in between those moments of doubts and dismissal, you may come to believe it possible that within each of us lives the essence of our existence—beginnings, middles, and endings—the paths that those before us took to bring us here."
The story embraced a poignant narrative with an elegiac and melancholic writing that harmonized between two, distinct timelines; past and present, ancestors and descendants separated by years and divided by generations, although were inherently mingled.
“I will not let these men with skin of the moon know my terror and loneliness.”
The storyline combined chapters with the first person perspective from characters sharing an identical bloodline whom endured and sustained similar tragedies and oppressions; the superstructure that dominated 19th and early 20th century and subordinated black people. Albeit their retellings weren’t recurrent along the line the impact behind them is profond and movingly authentic, nonetheless.
"The distance never seemed to put enough space between her conscience and the past."
The other chapters were the backbone of the book narrated from the third person and retraced the interior war the female protagonist was torn with. Trying to forgive her own, past and present, mistakes. Alessandra was a strong female lead but had a noxious relationship with her father since her mother’s death. She wanted to rearrange their chaotic bond at all coasts when she received a call announcing her that her father was hospitalized. One of her father’s wishes was for her to reconnect with her ancestors by understanding the epiphany behind her vivid dreams and realistic visions, from another time, disguised with ugly truths hidden by her late mother. The flashbacks were.. disturbing.
“Sometimes there’re some things that cannot and should not be explained,” she said in the musical lilt he loved to hear. “They simply exist, yeah, like the meeting of two people who share something only with each other—their unified spirits.”
The backbone chapters contained some chapters and parts with the male protagonist’s point of view, Zack. With his and Alessandra’s perspectives the storytelling flourished into a surprisingly heartbreaking and soul-moving story about fate and soulmates, belongings and forgiveness. The bond between them was transparently powerful throughout the book but intensified the more Zach helped her figure the missing segments of her ancestral tree.
"Behind her closed lids, the images of her ancestors manifested with life. They might be gone in body, but they were part of her, in her blood, in her DNA."
The plot was enticing, trying to comprehend why everything and everyone was somehow mangled together. What these past chapters relating the escape of a 15 years old girl prisoner had anything to do with Alessandra. Why Zach had always this contradictory —uncomfortable yet reassuring— impression that he and Alessandra had known each other, before?
But most importantly who or what Ayah is ? The only significance I knew to the word is the literal meaning, the religious islamic in wish Ayah means a Qur'anic verse. Seeing how easily and poetically the author has the capacity and power to torn and twist words I was convinced the meaning was metaphorical.. Oh, how wrong was I, cuz its significance brought so much more understanding and made the story more impactful in so many ways.
" I am Ayah. I am home."
•Quotes:
"Sometimes she wondered if she’d romanticized her mother simply because she was gone, or had things been as storybook as she remembered?"
"Acting as if the past don’t exist don’t make it less real; putting it behind ya don’t make it go away."
"But as new to him as Alessandra Fleming was, he couldn’t shake the sensation that he’d always known her."
"After all, everyone was a descendant."
I want to thank Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange of an honest review.
•———•———•———•———•———•———•
I need some sleep to recover from the plot and gather my thoughts properly
trapwomanistcyborgwitch's review against another edition
4.0
Book: I am Ayah
Author: Donna Hill
Pgs: 336
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance
Synopsis:
Set amid Sag Harbor’s vibrant African American history, bestselling author Donna Hill weaves a stunningly rich story about finding the way home…no matter how long the journey takes. Alessandra Fleming has spent most of her life running from her past. Her budding photography career, her life in Manhattan, all serve to distract from the secrets and guilt she’s never been able to face. Then the call. Her estranged father is in the hospital…and Alessandra must return home to Sag Harbor, crumbling the first wall between her past and her present. For some, coming home is a relief. For Alessandra, it’s a reminder of the family she’s lost, of the time she’ll never regain. But the answers—the secrets—of her family are hidden in the house, waiting for her. And the only one who may be able to help her uncover them is her father’s neighbor, Zach, who brings with him an attraction that’s intense and instantaneous, yet oddly familiar. Now Alessandra is being pulled back not only into her own complex family history, but into the richly documented lives of four extraordinary women. Generations touched by tragedy and triumph, despair and hope. And it’s in these aching echoes of the past that Alessandra’s own story—her mistakes and her capacity to love—will take shape, guiding her to the life she’s meant to live…and the extraordinary person she will become.
Review! This book really surprised me. I love a good historical Matrilineal family history especially with black women. Great mix of romance, history, and magic realism. This book was thoroughly researched and put together well. I especially liked the mention of the Maroons, which where hidden communities of enslaved people, showing a great resistance to white supremacy. Great character arc for both main characters as well.
Highly recommended! Thanks @hearourvoicestours for letting me be a part of this tour.
nyalania's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
ndvdv's review against another edition
4.0
Gosh this book. What a beautiful story about looking back to your past and returning home. This book was a wonderful journey of Alessandra coming back to her home town and healing her heart. It’s about love, loss and redefining who you are…and realizing your journey began well into the past, through the lives of your ancestors.
“Say her name, she’d whisper before I drifted off to sleep. She survived so that you could live.”
“Ali is the embodiment of all our ancestors’ greatest dreams”.
“We are the sum of all the parts that came before us.”
“Say her name, she’d whisper before I drifted off to sleep. She survived so that you could live.”
“Ali is the embodiment of all our ancestors’ greatest dreams”.
“We are the sum of all the parts that came before us.”
lit_vibrations's review against another edition
4.0
A breathtaking historical fiction novel with a hint of spice about finding the way home no matter how long the journey takes. In the novel the author perfectly blends two timelines from the past and present creating an epic page-turner. I really loved how the narrative wove together two different eras simultaneously creating multiple viewpoints on this families history. Donna Hill has a real knack for taking past historical events and creating a modern relevancy with her storylines, researched documentation, and characters.
The novel follows Alessandra Fleming a woman who spent most of her life running from her past. With her aspiring career in photography and life in Manhattan she uses this as a distraction from the secrets and guilt she’s never been able to face. But after receiving a call regarding her father Alessandra must return home to Sag Harbor. For some returning home may be a good thing but for Ali it’s a constant reminder of the family she’s lost and the time she’ll never regain. Little does she know the answers and secrets of her family are hidden in their home waiting for her to return. But the only person who may be able to help her uncover the truth of the past is her father’s neighbor Zach. We watch as Alessandra discovers the truth of her family history and the documented lives of four generations of extraordinary women touched by tragedy and triumph, despair and hope.
The novel was superbly written, well-developed, and engaging to read. The pacing was fair and all of the characters gave balance to the story. The author spotlights the importance of knowing one’s family history, discovering themselves, and finding home. It also addresses different themes from slavery, family dynamics, generational trauma, and the historical injustices of African Americans.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book I found both Alessandra and Zach to be very compelling characters. It was their devotion to uncovering the truth and piecing their history together that I found so captivating. The novel was so layered from the detailed historical documents, flashback visions, moral family choices, and how both their backgrounds connected. It’s like the deeper you get into the novel the more information is revealed and you realize Ali and Zach were meant to find each other. Special thanks to the author, hearourvoicestours, & entangled_publishing for my gifted copy!!!
The novel follows Alessandra Fleming a woman who spent most of her life running from her past. With her aspiring career in photography and life in Manhattan she uses this as a distraction from the secrets and guilt she’s never been able to face. But after receiving a call regarding her father Alessandra must return home to Sag Harbor. For some returning home may be a good thing but for Ali it’s a constant reminder of the family she’s lost and the time she’ll never regain. Little does she know the answers and secrets of her family are hidden in their home waiting for her to return. But the only person who may be able to help her uncover the truth of the past is her father’s neighbor Zach. We watch as Alessandra discovers the truth of her family history and the documented lives of four generations of extraordinary women touched by tragedy and triumph, despair and hope.
The novel was superbly written, well-developed, and engaging to read. The pacing was fair and all of the characters gave balance to the story. The author spotlights the importance of knowing one’s family history, discovering themselves, and finding home. It also addresses different themes from slavery, family dynamics, generational trauma, and the historical injustices of African Americans.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book I found both Alessandra and Zach to be very compelling characters. It was their devotion to uncovering the truth and piecing their history together that I found so captivating. The novel was so layered from the detailed historical documents, flashback visions, moral family choices, and how both their backgrounds connected. It’s like the deeper you get into the novel the more information is revealed and you realize Ali and Zach were meant to find each other. Special thanks to the author, hearourvoicestours, & entangled_publishing for my gifted copy!!!
timitra's review against another edition
5.0
Rated 4.5 Stars
I knew from the first page that I would love this book . I Am Ayah: The Way Home was an experience, an amazing one. It wasn't always easy to read but in those difficult, harsh and not so pretty moments there was beauty. There was hope. There was love. I loved that the most about it, that even in the worst of conditions love was present. Love was the most consistent and enduring inhabitant of this journey. I loved the way this story was crafted, how the things of the past and present were interwoven. I loved the way the author used the characters to tell this story. I adored this story. It is one that I highly recommend.
Copy provided by publisher through NetGalley
I knew from the first page that I would love this book . I Am Ayah: The Way Home was an experience, an amazing one. It wasn't always easy to read but in those difficult, harsh and not so pretty moments there was beauty. There was hope. There was love. I loved that the most about it, that even in the worst of conditions love was present. Love was the most consistent and enduring inhabitant of this journey. I loved the way this story was crafted, how the things of the past and present were interwoven. I loved the way the author used the characters to tell this story. I adored this story. It is one that I highly recommend.
Copy provided by publisher through NetGalley
sash_marguerite's review against another edition
5.0
Five stars.
I loved this book! Donna Hill wove several distinct timelines between ancestors and descendants who are separated by generations, but their struggles were intermingled. The amidst the book, there are passages from what we learn are our MC Alessandra's ancestors. Here are the tragedies and oppressions that Alessandra's maternal ancestors experienced throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.
After developing a strained relationship after her mother's death, Alessandra was estranged from her father for the last few years. She is an aspiring photographer on the cusp of her first gallery show, and she is surprised by a call that her father has been hospitalized. She comes back home to Sag Harbor to deal with her father's condition, and to her surprise, her father is glad to see her. Before her return home, she begins to have vivid dreams and realistic visions that she can not comprehend. She also finds out that her father wanted her to know the history of her ancestors, which her mother did not like to share with her.
When she returns to Sag Harbor, she meets Zach, one of her father's neighbors who has a close relationship with him, making her a bit jealous. We also get chapters with Zach's perspective which gave us a soul-moving story about soulmates, accepting and honoring the past, and forgiveness. Alessandra and Zach's connection was powerful, and they were drawn to each other their band intensified as they explored the segments of her family's history. Zach also finds out that Alessandra's family is integral to the research he has been doing on the maroon community in Sag Harbor.
The book was very enthralling because there were so many facets to the plot, and at first, I wondered how the historical accounts fit into the book's main narrative. Overall I loved how everything came together, and this is yet another amazing book by Donna Hill.
Thanks to Hear Our Voices Tours for providing me with a copy for my honest review.
I loved this book! Donna Hill wove several distinct timelines between ancestors and descendants who are separated by generations, but their struggles were intermingled. The amidst the book, there are passages from what we learn are our MC Alessandra's ancestors. Here are the tragedies and oppressions that Alessandra's maternal ancestors experienced throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.
After developing a strained relationship after her mother's death, Alessandra was estranged from her father for the last few years. She is an aspiring photographer on the cusp of her first gallery show, and she is surprised by a call that her father has been hospitalized. She comes back home to Sag Harbor to deal with her father's condition, and to her surprise, her father is glad to see her. Before her return home, she begins to have vivid dreams and realistic visions that she can not comprehend. She also finds out that her father wanted her to know the history of her ancestors, which her mother did not like to share with her.
When she returns to Sag Harbor, she meets Zach, one of her father's neighbors who has a close relationship with him, making her a bit jealous. We also get chapters with Zach's perspective which gave us a soul-moving story about soulmates, accepting and honoring the past, and forgiveness. Alessandra and Zach's connection was powerful, and they were drawn to each other their band intensified as they explored the segments of her family's history. Zach also finds out that Alessandra's family is integral to the research he has been doing on the maroon community in Sag Harbor.
The book was very enthralling because there were so many facets to the plot, and at first, I wondered how the historical accounts fit into the book's main narrative. Overall I loved how everything came together, and this is yet another amazing book by Donna Hill.
Thanks to Hear Our Voices Tours for providing me with a copy for my honest review.
orsayor's review against another edition
5.0
I Am Ayah: The Way Home is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that celebrates the strength of family bonds, the importance of embracing one's roots, and the transformative power of love and forgiveness. Donna Hill's compelling narrative and well-drawn characters make this book a must-read for anyone seeking an engaging and soul-stirring literary experience. - Orsayor L Simmons